Wednesday, September 16, 2015

Supernatural: The Complete Tenth Season Blu-ray Review

Reviewed by Jami Ferguson

After Dean Winchester lost his battle with power-mad angel scribe Metatron last season, he was resurrected by the power of the First Blade and transformed into a demon, cursed with the Mark of Cain. The road to recovering wayward Dean takes brother Sam down sinister paths himself, with consequences that will shake the boys to their core. The Winchesters’ angelic comrade-in-arms Castiel must pick up the pieces in the aftermath of Metatron’s campaign to overtake Heaven. With his divine “grace” failing and rogue angels still loose, Cass faces the ticking clock of his own mortality while all-new and ages-old threats again push our heroes to their human and otherworldly limits. At the same time, the King of Hell, Crowley, must deal with dissension within his own twisted family. Supernatural: The Complete Tenth Season will unleash your inner demon and hold you spellbound.

Show (4 out of 5 stars)

Brothers Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles) Winchester have hunted demons since they were children. Their mother was murdered by a demon and their father later lost his life fighting the darkness. The Angel Castiel (Mischa Collins) is now a trusted ally in the fight against evil. The Winchesters have made many sacrifices to save each other and to literally keep the world from ending. The brothers have had to give up a lot, but this season it appears that Dean may finally forfeit his life. To defeat the power hungry Metatron (Curtis Armstrong) he has accepted the Mark of Cain and is now turning into a demon. Castiel’s divine grace is failing and Sam is unsure how much of Dean is left. The King of Hell, Crowley appears to truly be an ally but is sidetracked by his own family drama from centuries ago.

The following twenty three episodes are included in season ten:

Disc One

1. “Black” – Dean is spending his nights singing karaoke in a bar (poorly) while Sam searches for his brother and Crowley looks on. An enemy from the past resurfaces who plans to use Sam to get to Dean. Castiel is not looking good, with little grace left to keep him going.

2. “Reichenbach” – Sam’s captor reveals why he wants revenge. Crowley tries to feed The Mark of Cain while collecting souls himself. Hannah is so desperate to save Castiel that she turns to Metatron for help. Sam finally catches us with Dean but isn’t sure how much of his brother is left.

3. “Soul Survivor” – In an episode directed by Jensen Ackles, Sam captures Dean and tries to free him from the demon he is becoming. It is a painful, terrible process but it just might give Sam his brother back. Crowley saves the day as Castiel and Hannah are attacked.

4. “Paper Moon” – The brothers reunite and get back to hunting. As they deal with a wolf problem they encounter a face from the past with a new set of issues.

5. “Fan Fiction” – A teacher’s disappearance leads Sam and Dean to a whole new kind of weird. Their lives are a high school musical but a sinister force is at work in the 200th episode.

6. “Ask Jeeves” – Sam and Dean travel to Connecticut for the reading of the will of a late heiress who knew Bobby. They have been unable to find a case, but a murder mystery unfolds at the home. At first it appears they have a ghost problem but things are not what they seem.

Disc Two

7. “Girls, Girls, Girls” – Sam and Dean stumble across a demon brothel and the witch Rowena. Hannah and Castiel try to work together but her human vessel’s past complicates things.

8. “Hibbing 911” - Sheriff Jody Mills meets a Sheriff that Winchesters encountered on a previous case. She is in town for a law enforcement retreat but bodies start piling up and Sam and Dean arrive in time to discover a vampire nest.

9. “The Things We Left Behind” Castiel’s vessel has a daughter who has had a rough time since losing her father. When she disappears he asks for Sam and Dean’s help to find her. Crowley’s family drama continues.

10. “The Hunter Games”- Rowena continues to torment and plot against Crowley. Castiel still wants to help Claire but she is set on seeing the Winchesters to pay for the death of her friend. Castiel calls in angelic favors to get some time with Metatron, hoping he can help Dean rid himself of the Mark of Cain.

11. “There’s No Place Like Home” - Sam discovers a video that shows Charlie assaulting and torturing a man. They learn why she returned from Oz and they will have their hands full with good and evil.

12. “About a Boy” – People are disappearing, leaving just piles of clothes. It turns out Hansel is turning people into younger versions of themselves to satisfy the witch. Soon, Dean is a teenage boy but still needs to save the day.

Disc Three

13. “Halt & Catch Fire” – While Castiel tries to track down Cain, Sam and Dean head to the Midwest to check out a case. A truck is possessed, a college girl is strangled in her locked room, and a third victim also dies mysteriously. The brothers quickly realize that a vengeful spirit is to blame, but they don’t know how he is able to strike.

14. “The Executioner’s Song” – A death row inmate disappears and Cain is to blame. Crowley chooses the Winchesters over Rowena. Dean faces off against Cain who has given in to his dark side.

15. “The Things They Carried” - An army private is dead, drained of blood, marrow sucked from her bones. The locals find a quick suspect but he’s one of the recent suicides in the area. The case leads them to a man in the military that came back different. Cole is called in by one of the wives to help his friend.

16. “Paint it Black” – Suicides again draw the interest of the Winchesters. This time a spirit targets confessing parishioners. Rowena demands Crowleys assistance with the leader of the Grand Coven.

17. “Inside Man” - Sam seeks more help with the mark of Cain. Out of desperation he and Castiel try to get Metatron’s assistance. Sam finally turns to their oldest dearest friend.

18. “Book of the Damned” – Charlie discovers the Book of the Damned and Sam and Dean race to save her before the Family Styne does. Castiel has his grace back but at a great price.

Disc Four

19. “The Werther Project” – Sam goes to Rowena to translate the Book of the Damned and is willing to promise anything to get the job done. A previous man of letter built the Werther Box which will unlock the secrets of the book but is very dangerous.

20. “Angel Heart” – The Winchesters and Castiel try to help Claire reunite with her mother. Unfortunately her mother has fallen in with a fallen angel and that happy reunion might not be in the cards.

21. “Dark Dynasty” – Crowley searches for his mother. The Styne family focuses in on Sam and Dean.

22. “The Prisoner” – Dean wants revenge for what the Stynes took. Sam realizes what the quest to save Dean may really cost.

23. “Brother’s Keeper” - The Mark of Cain has taken its toll and Dean makes a decision. Crowley and Rowena go head to head.

The tenth season of my absolute favorite CW show released on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital HD on September 8th. The Winchester brothers are back requiring the help of both demonic and angelic frenemies to once again, save the world. This season of "Supernatural" is just as dramatic and touching as any other season. The relationship between Sam and Dean is at the heart of this show. The angel Castiel and amazingly the demon Crowley are almost family at this point. There is a bit of the weekly monster feature. Fan favorite Felicia Day is back this season and provides some of the most heartbreaking moments of the season.

I have many shows in my roster that were once great and have faltered but I still watch them out of loyalty. "Supernatural" is still a great show. Not every episode is an absolute gem but every episode has something to love. Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki are the heart of the show and I don’t know I’d want to watch it without either one of them. It’s a dark and dramatic show with immense humor and fun. I liked this season when it aired originally, I loved it the second time around on Blu-ray. It takes at least a second viewing in order to take it all in. You have just enough time to grab season ten and prepare for the season eleven premiere on Wednesday October 7th.

Video (4 out of 5 stars)

Demons, werewolves, angels and more come to life on Blu-ray. The 1080p high definition presentation stands up to the darkest locations. Set design is amazing as each location has a personality of its own. The creatures are authentic; the blood runs many shades of red.

Extras (4 out of 5 stars)
The Blu-ray contains a healthy list of features spread over its four discs including the always anticipated gag reel.

Disc One

Supernatural at 2014 Comic Con (28:54) – Producers and cast talk about season ten at Comic Con panel in Hall H. Jensen Ackles, Jared Padalecki and Misha Collins appear with their Pop figures. The cast thanks the fans for their support and hints about things to come. Includes a fan question with a special guest.

Supernatural Theatre: Staging the 200th Episode (25:25) – A look behind the scenes at “Fan Fiction”, featuring Supernatural: The Musical. Dean sums it up well saying it’s giving the fans what they wanted in a way they didn’t expect. Includes rehearsal footage and cast and crew interviews.

Unaired Scenes from “The Executioner’s Song” and “The Book of the Damned”

Disc Four

The Winchester Mythology: Battling the Mark and the Blade (20:50) – Cast and crew discuss the mythology of season ten in detail.

Supernatural FANS (56:28) - A touching documentary exploring Supernatural fandom highlighting some special fans that have created some amazing tributes. It is very nice to hear how much the cast and crew appreciate the fans.

A Very Special Supernatural Special (29:50) –A retrospective featurette with cast and crew looking back on the road so far. See the focus change from the monster of the week to longer, more deeper storylines between the Winchester brothers. The best and worst episodes are discussed.

Gag Reel (6:57) – Fun with props, Christmas sweaters and even drool. As always, the cast appears to enjoy their jobs and finds a lot of humor in between dramatic takes.

Unaired Scenes from “Brother’s Keeper.”

Summary (4 out of 5 stars)

The Blu-ray contains a nice list of extras, which I would only want to supplement with commentary by Padalecki and Ackles. I am aware that they both direct and have big responsibilities and little time but I would love to hear more about what they think of the work this season. The commentaries are still fun to listen to an include tidbits like Felicia Day’s opinion that Nathan Fillion and Jared Padalecki are some of the top huggers. Fans of the show won’t be disappointed. If you’re new to the show I really recommend starting at the beginning. It’s been a long road for the Winchesters. You have to start at the beginning to understand the complexities and to appreciate what an “idjit” is. I recommend watching the show, buying the Blu-ray and binge watching to prepare for the next season.